August 2022
Updates
I’ve been working on some new site designs while trying to be more intentional about my time on the computer, and I got my nails painted 💅
Check them out, fresh from the nail place:
I started getting them done to help curb a skin picking habit, and I didn’t know it was a whole experience. I usually spend about an hour conversing with the nail tech while she shapes the nails, clips away excess cuticle growth, massages my hands and forearms (great for the RSI I’ve started to feel this year), and applies the polish.
I like the tactile feel when it’s all done. Three weeks ago I got a purplish-gray color, and today I got a matte finish on top of the charcoal gray color the nail tech picked out, and I think this will be my go-to style for a while.
🐱 Cats
I have nails now, so that means obnoxious nail placement in every photo I take.
📝 Blogging
5 posts this past month. Here’s a few:
📖 Reading
- Search less, browse more — this is what I’ve done since my first PC in 2004. I didn’t have internet access, so browsing every menu, panel, and option was how I learned
- Coastline paradox — and related SMBC comic
- Productivity porn — Caleb realized that he was spending too much time thinking about the best way to do things instead of actually doing them—a struggle I share
💪 Fitness
In July, I started walking to the muffin shop or around the block. I haven’t been able to keep this up as much as I wanted to—my excuses include rain, excessive humidity, and mosquitoes—but I’m still doing it 1-3 times a week.
🎮 Gaming
I did a lot of gaming in August. I limited myself to evenings, but it was hard to go to bed before 2am some nights 😬
Most of my gaming time was spent playing No Man’s Sky. NMS had a big update recently, and my starship has clipped inside of my freighter and exploded much less often. Base building on both freighters and planets has improved a lot, so I’ve started building planetary bases again. What I like most about the game is that it’s easy to come back to after a long break, there’s not a huge learning curve.
My friend Chris Taylor showed me FAR: Lone Sails and its sequel, FAR: Changing Tides. The sequel was available on Xbox Game Pass, so that’s the one I played. Highly recommend it! I loved running around managing the equipment on my ship to keep it moving, and the soundtrack is excellent. I plan to play the first one at some point, I’m just trying not to spend money on games right now.
I booted up my PC and got everything updated for the first time in months, which took forever. This was so I could play Dota 2 with Kolton, a game where you can experience all five stages of grief, loss of faith in humankind, euphoria, and mild annoyance, in one match.
🎵 Music
- Album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You by Big Thief — A change of direction in Big Thief’s sound. Simulation Swarm is my favorite track
- Album 11:11 by Regina Spektor — The remaster of her first album with bootleg recordings of her early shows. Another recommendation from Chris Taylor
- Album All News Is Good News by Surprise Chef — Australian jazz-punk, with a new album out October 14th
- Album FFS, a collaboration between Franz Ferdinand and Sparks
- Album FAR: Changing Tides soundtrack — My #1 most played album this past month
- Album Reset by Panda Bear & Sonic Boom — this duo has a bit of a Beach Boys vibe
📺 Movies and TV shows
Shows I’ve been watching
- What We Do In The Shadows — season 2 had an excellent episode with the energy vampire character. We’re on S4 now
- The Rehearsal — Nathan Fielder has outdone himself with this one, and I heard season 2 is happening
Movies I’ve seen
- The Northman — The word “epic” is overused, but fits this film
- Lightyear — thought this one was going to be a nostalgia trap. And it was, but well done, and we both enjoyed it. Probably because there’s a cat in it